Discovery and Launch

lastmod 2026-11-10created 2026-01-093 edits

Discovery and Launch (DIAL) is a protocol that lets a second-screen device such as a smartphone find a TV or set-top box on the same network and launch apps on it. It was developed jointly by Netflix and YouTube; it discovers devices with SSDP and launches apps or queries their state with HTTP REST requests. Unlike Miracast, which transmits the screen as is, it only instructs the app on the TV side to play the content itself, and it was also used in the early discovery process of Google Cast.

See also

• Remote desktop software
• Miracast
• AirPlay
• Discovery and Launch (used by Netflix app)
• Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
• WiDi version 3.5 to 6.0 supports Miracast; discontinued
• Google Cast
• Smart Display (codename Mira, early 2002 screencasting by Microsoft)
• Wireless HDMI
• FCast